Devotional messages on the book of Matthew sorted by verse
Burdened Past, Brilliant Prospects
Ponder the weight of the past which Jesus brought into this world. Abraham, who twice claimed that Sarah was his sister in order to save his own skin. Isaac, who followed his father’s corrupt example out of the same craven... continued »
Jesus Christ, the Son of … Abraham
Abraham left the wealth and power of Ur to go to Palestine Jesus left the palaces of heaven to descend to Bethlehem Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar Jesus offered himself on the Cross Abraham’s son did not... continued »
Jesus Christ, the Son of David
David overcame Goliath by the weakness of a sling Jesus defeated Satan through the weakness of the Cross David attracted men of the lowest sort Jesus consorted with sinners and chose men of humble station David would not take the... continued »
Jesus, the True Israel
By applying this quotation from Hosea to Jesus, Matthew identifies Him as the true Israel, the fulfillment of all the types, shadows, and promises of the Old Testament. In Abraham, God said, all nations will be blessed; Jesus begins his... continued »
Conceived by the Holy Spirit
The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary was a stunning, spectacular, unique miracle, the greatest act of God since the creation of the world. continued »
Jesus the Man
Although the angel’s words to Joseph show that He is God, they also point to His humanity. In every way, Jesus was a true man. Physically He was conceived in Mary’s womb and born as an infant like the rest... continued »
Is Jesus God?
Matthew had begun his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus, “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (1:1). That showed His human origin and nature. Now, however, he relates the words of the angel to Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, which... continued »
Salvation From What?
With these words, the angel announced to Joseph what Mary’s child would come to do. Jesus was not born primarily to deliver us from sickness, poverty, pain, confusion, and conflict. Followers of Christ are not exempt from the troubles of... continued »
What Is “Salvation”?
In what ways did Jesus save His people? He delivered them from bondage to self and to the world, by calling them to follow Him (4:18-22). He freed them from all sorts of illness, by healing them (4:23-24). He liberated... continued »
Who Gets Saved?
As soon as we read this verse, we ask, “Who are His people?” In other words, Who can be saved? To put it another way, How can we be saved? Throughout his Gospel, Matthew tells us what Jesus said about... continued »
How Does Jesus Save?
Now that He has died, risen, and ascended to the Father’s right hand, just how does Jesus “save His people from their sins”? He has completed the work of redemption and made it possible for us to be reconciled with... continued »
Savior From What?
These words to Joseph by the angel explain precisely what Jesus came to do: To save His people from their sins. Notice that Jesus did not come primarily to save people from sickness, though He did heal all who came... continued »
God With Us
The rest of Matthew’s Gospel documents the evidence for the full deity of Jesus. From the very beginning of His ministry, He healed “all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (4:23). Again and again, He... continued »
Alone No More
Even before His birth, the angel proclaims Jesus as the Great Companion. At the end of his Gospel, Matthew records Jesus’ final words: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” “Immanuel” – “God with... continued »
Responding to Jesus
The wise men from the East traveled hundreds – perhaps thousands – of miles in order to worship Jesus, whom they knew only to be the King of the Jews. “Worship” can take many forms: The wise men fell down... continued »
Why Worship?
The wise men from the East traveled many miles for one purpose: To worship the new King of the Jews. But why? Some people worship God for what for what He has done in the past. Others worship Him because... continued »
Evil in High Places
What news could upset such powerful people? Wise men had come from the East, following a star which they considered to point to a new-born child, who was king of the Jews. Herod knew the child was not his, and... continued »
God’s Beloved Son
The verse to which Matthew refers is found in the eleventh chapter of Hosea, one of the most moving passages in the entire Bible. Here God declares his undying love for Israel, his adopted son: When Israel was a child,... continued »
Son(s) of God
Jesus was not only a man who lived in first-century Palestine, but also the eternal Son of God. This unique God-Man was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20), so that He could rightly inherit the promised name, Immanuel, which... continued »
Mourning Loss (4)
We have seen that Jeremiah 31, from which this quotation was taken by Matthew, brims with hope for Israel’s future. The people would return from exile in Babylon and the land of Benjamin would again be filled with children. Mourning... continued »
Mourning Loss (3)
By quoting this passage from Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew injects hope into the otherwise dismal account of the brutal slaughter of innocent children by jealous King Herod. As the prophet Jeremiah declared long ago, though God chastises His people severely, He... continued »
Preparing for the King
John was sent by God to “Prepare the way of the LORD,” in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3. How did he seek to get people ready for the coming of Jesus, the long-promised Messiah and Savior of Israel?... continued »
The Peril of Pride
John the Baptist rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees, not because they came to be baptized, but because they came with the wrong motives. They were still in the grip of pride, which prevented them from true repentance and thus receiving... continued »
The Fire to Come
John repeatedly warns his hearers of “the wrath to come” (3:7), which he describes as a fire – the most painful of torments. This awful judgment will come from Jesus, who will either baptize people with the Holy Spirit, or... continued »
Holy Spirit Baptism
John not only announces judgment to come upon all who refuse to repent and believe the Gospel. He also proclaims the good news of Christ. The Coming One will baptize repentant believers with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16;... continued »